UPDATED PROPERTY TAX INFO
New and updated property tax information has just been compiled by Cameron Appraisal District and is available now to assist taxpayers. This property tax information is current and covers a wide range of topics, such as taxpayer remedies, exemptions and appraisals, and is of value to select groups, such as disabled veterans and persons who are age 65 or older. Read More

January 10, 2012: 2012 Business Personal Property Renditions Mailed Out

The Cameron Appraisal District has mailed out the 2012 Business Personal Property Renditions, Dealer Declarations and Freeport applications. These renditions include the Business Personal Property forms for retail, commercial and industrial businesses. The industrial businesses include manufacturing companies, railroad companies, gas distribution systems, electric companies, pipelines, cable companies and others such as towers and communication equipment. The declaration forms are used for car dealers, manufactured housing dealers, vessel and trailer dealers and heavy equipment dealers.

This year one important change involves the way heavy equipment dealers will be reporting their inventories. Now these dealers will have to include all rental and leased equipment along with net sales reports. For more information on the reporting of heavy equipment please call our office and ask to speak with the Personal Property department.

Owners of Freeport inventory in warehouses and manufacturing companies need to apply each year on or before April 30, 2012. A late application will be subject to a 10 percent penalty on their tax savings. A late Freeport rendition may be accepted prior to certification of the appraisal roll. Manufacturing companies receiving both a rendition and Freeport application need to be aware of the reporting deadlines.

Business Personal Property renditions are due on April 15, 2012. This year since April 15, 2012 falls on a Sunday April 16 will be the last day to be considered timely.A rendition received with a postmark after the 16th of April will be subject to a 10 percent late penalty unless an extension had been requested in writing prior to the deadline.

All dealer declarations are due on February 1, 2012. Late declarations are also subject to a late penalty.

The chief appraiser may waive a late penalty under good cause. All required documentation must be timely submitted.

You may contact the Personal Property Department with any questions you may have on your renditions, declarations, and Freeport application at (956)399-9322, 9560541-3365, (956)428-8020 or on our website.

Fernando Dominguez, RPA
Business Personal Property Manager

February 10, 2011: Reset Exemption Letters & Applications Mailed Out

On February 10, 2011 the Cameron Appraisal District sent out 2,026 reset exemption letters and applications to taxpayers. This notified them that their account had an exemption in 2010 and because of a deed transfer, address change or some other information obtained by this office on the account, the exemptions were removed for 2011.
If you received this notice, you are required to re-apply to continue the exemption.
You may be eligible for a homestead exemption if the property you are applying for is your primary residence and do not claim these exemptions anywhere else. Also, you must own and occupy the residence on January 1. If you are disabled or over 65 you may qualify for those exemptions for the entire year, and do not have the January 1 qualifying date.
Please return the application along with a copy of yours and your spouse's Texas driver's License, reflecting the address where you are applying for the exemption. Only if you do not drive will a Texas I.D. be accepted. If you are not the sole owner of the property and the other owner(s) do not qualify, the exemption is split up and only allowed for the % of ownership of the qualified applicant.

The Cameron Appraisal District requires a valid driver's license showing the address of the homestead for verification of primary residence - for both applicant & spouse. Contact the Appraisal District for other forms of identification accepted, if you are not a licensed driver.

The Renditions of Real Property Inventory Forms were mailed out on January 27, 2011.
The Rendition forms must be filed after Jan 1 and not later than April 15 of this year. On written request, the Chief Appraiser must extend the deadline to May 15th. You may receive an additional 15 day extension if you request it in writing and show good cause for the extension. The form must report residential real property that was part of your inventory on Jan 1 of this year. You MUST file a separate rendition form for each subdivision or group of contiguous properties you own. Do NOT list a property unless it meets these requirements:
It is a residential property.
It hasn't ever been occupied as a residence.
It hasn't been leased, rented, or otherwise used to produce income since the beginning of the year.
You have held it for sale since the beginning of the year.
You must indicate the description of each property, including the appraisal district account number if the district has assigned separate numbers for each property.
The individual property legal description, improvement area, percent complete on January 1, and the asking price for the property.

Renditions of Real Property Inventory are available for download here.

January 27, 2011: 14th Annual La Feria Parent Conference 2011 Held

The Cameron Appraisal District's Liaison Officer participated in the 14th Annual Parent Conference held at the La Feria high school. It is located on 901 N. Canal St. The event took place from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM

The CAD's Liaison Officer, Flora Rodriguez, was there to answer questions regarding the duties of the Cameron Appraisal District, the type of exemptions that are given, and other questions regarding properties.

January 7, 2011: 2011 Business Personal Property Renditions Mailed Out

Cameron Appraisal District mailed out the 2011 Business Personal Property Renditions Form on Friday, January 7, 2011. Renditions must be received by April 15, 2011 to avoid a 10 percent penalty. A 30 day extension may be granted to May 15, 2011 if a written requested is received on or before April 15, 2011. Being that May 15, 2011 falls on a Sunday the deadline will be extended to May 16, 2011.
All other renditions received postmarked after the deadline are late. Property Owners/Agents may mail renditions via US mail or they may be faxed, emailed or hand delivered.
As per section 22.01 of the Texas Property Tax Code all tangible personal property used for the production of income that a person owns or that a person manages and controls as a fiduciary January 1 must render for ad valorem taxation.
If you have not received a rendition by January 15, 2011 or you have any questions please call our office at (956) 399-9322.
Download a Rendition Extension Request form on our Forms & Downloads page. Signature required.Click here to visit our FAQ page for more details.

Real Estate Notices of Appraised Value were mailed out on May 1, 2010. Taxpayers are encouraged to review all information pertaining to their property. Please contact the appraisal district if any errors are found regarding the owner of the property, property location or owner's mailing address. If you disagree with the appraised value of your property, you can file a protest with the appraisal district. Information on how to file a protest can be found here.

April 9, 2010: United Blood Services Holds Blood Drive

The United Blood Services held a blood drive on Friday, April 9, 2010 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Cameron Appraisal District. The blood drive was held in the United Blood Services mobile bus which was parked in the front; side of the Cameron Appraisal District building. Everyone was encouraged to participate. Each donor received a "Thank You" gift. If you were unable to donate on the actual drive date, you can still donate by going to the United Blood Services Center at the address listed below. Be sure to let them know you are donating on behalf of the Cameron Appraisal District. The office is open Monday, Tuesday & Thursday, 11:00 AM to 7:30 PM and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

UNITED BLOOD SERVICES
612 ED CAREY DR
HARLINGEN, TX 78550

March 1, 2010: Homestead Exemption Applications Mailed Out

The Cameron Appraisal District mailed out 2,185 Homestead Applications to those Taxpayers who: (1) purchased a home prior to January 1, 2010 and that home held a homestead exemption in 2009 or (2) have a Homestead exemption with a mailing address other than their Homestead address.
You may have also received a request to re-file for your Homestead exemption for reasons other than the one's listed above.
Once filed, your Homestead exemption does not have to be filed annually. However, you must re-file to continue the exemptions if the Chief Appraiser requests you to do so by sending you a request and a new application.

The Cameron Appraisal District requires a valid driver's license showing the address of the homestead for verification of primary residence - for both applicant & spouse. Contact the Appraisal District for other forms of identification accepted, if you are not a licensed driver.

February 12, 2010: United Blood Services Holds Blood Drive

The United Blood Services held a blood drive on Friday, February 12 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM in our board room. Each eligible donor received a "Thank You" gift, a free cholesterol check upon request, and door prizes were raffled off every hour. If you are interested in donating, you can donate by going to the United Blood Services Center at 612 Ed Carey Dr, Harlingen, TX. Their office is open Monday, Tuesday & Thursday from 11:00 AM - 7:30 PM and Wednesday, Friday & Saturday from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
The next blood drive will be held on Friday April 9, 2010.

The Cameron Appraisal District Liaison Officer - Flora Rodriguez and Erika Suarez, Data Entry Clerk, attended the 13th Annual La Feria ISD Parental Conference. The event was held on January 30, 2010 at the La Feria High School on 901 N. Carol St., La Feria, TX. This year's theme was "Education: Bridge To The Future". Homestead applications were handed out to those taxpayers whom never knew they qualified before attending this conference. Helpful information is usually explained to taxpayers as well. To see images of this event please visit our image gallery.

January 25, 2010: CAD Mailed out Historic Site Exemption Applications

On January 25th the Cameron Appraisal District mailed out Historic Site Exemption applications to applicants qualifying in the previous year. An annual application is required. File by April 30th to receive the tax exemption for 2010. Contact our Exemptions department if you may have any questions and/or concerns at (956) 399-9322.

January 25, 2010: Renditions of Real Property Inventory Mailed Out

The Renditions of Real Property Inventory Forms were mailed out on January 25, 2010.
The Rendition forms must be filed after Jan 1 and not later than April 15 of this year. On written request, the Chief Appraiser must extend the deadline to May 15th. You may receive an additional 15 day extension if you request it in writing and show good cause for the extension. The form must report residential real property that was part of your inventory on Jan 1 of this year. You MUST file a separate rendition form for each subdivision or group of contiguous properties you own. Do NOT list a property unless it meets these requirements:

It is a residential property.

It hasn't ever been occupied as a residence.

It hasn't been leased, rented, or otherwise used to produce income since the beginning of the year.

You have held it for sale since the beginning of the year.

You must indicate the description of each property, including the appraisal district account number if the district has assigned separate numbers for each property.

The individual property legal description, improvement area, percent complete on January 1, and the asking price for the property.

Renditions of Real Property Inventory are available for download here. Should you have any questions, contact Abel Mora at (956) 399-9322 Ext. 35, or Mary Aguilar at Ext. 69.

January 8, 2010: Personal Property Renditions Mailed Out

Business Personal Property Renditions were mailed out on January 8, 2010. Please remember to return your renditions by April 15, 2010. A late penalty of 10% will be applied for late renditions. For more information contact our Business Personal Property department. Renditions forms are available for download.

Rendition Deadline is April 15, 2010. If needed, request an extension for May 15, 2010. Request must be made (in writing, e-mailed, or faxed) on or before April 15, 2010. Download a Rendition Extension Request form. Signature required.

The Taxpayer Assistance Department mailed out over 1600 Disabled Veteran's letters, informing them of the changes in the new Disabled Veteran exemptions. Applications for both exemptions were included.

Some of these taxpayers may be eligible for the DVHS 100% disabled vets homestead exemption and may not be aware of a "NEW" application is required. Taxpayer's currently receiving disabled veteran exemptions may be eligible for an upgrade depending on their % of disability rating from the VA. Eligibility for the new exemption and upgrade is for the 2009 tax year, as long as they meet all requirements as of January 1. Both applications require a recent document from the VA outlining the disability rating or eligibility information.

You qualify for this exemption if you are a disabled veteran who receives from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or its successor 100 percent disability compensation due to a service-connected disability and a rating of 100 percent disability or of individual unemployability. This exemption applies to the property on which you have your residence homestead exemption as of January 1, beginning with the 2009 Tax Year. This entitles you to an exemption of the total appraised value of your residence homestead.

An exemption application must be completed and accompanied with a copy of your award letter, “VA tax letter” or other document from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs showing 100 percent disability compensation due to a service-connected disability and a rating of 100 percent disabled or of individual unemployability.

A surviving spouse or child does not qualify for this exemption.
Download Application.

October 23, 2009: Blood Drive

This month's blood drive was a success with over 10 people from our office participating. According to the United Blood Services, each pint of blood donated may save up to 3 lives. October's blood drive was held in the Cameron Appraisal District board room and is open to the public. The more donations we have the more lives may be saved. The next scheduled blood drive will be posted on our website.

October 17, 2009: Parental Involvement Conference 2009

The Harlingen CISD Parental Conference was held on October 17, 2009 at Texas State Technical College in Harlingen, TX. Flora Rodriguez (Cameron Appraisal District Liaison Officer) and Dalia Anzaldua (Senior Clerk, Property ID Dept.) attended this conference to inform taxpayers about available exemptions, where taxes need to be paid, and other helpful information.

The Cameron Appraisal Review Board certified the 2009 Appraised Values on July 20, 2009. The total approved 2009 market value for Cameron County is 17,511,548,720. There are 717 protests remaining under review with a total market value of 139,831,078. ARB hearings will continue July 20th and 21st.

Cameron Appraisal District will be mailing real estate notices. Some of these notices will include a statement explaining the individual's right to claim a homestead, as required by House Bill 3630. This special notice will be sent only to those property owners whose residential property address is the mailing address of the property owner and whose property does not have a homestead exemption. A copy of the homestead exemption application will also be included.

Effective September 1, 2005: All Sketches and Photos to Be Removed.

Senate Bill 541, Section 25.027: INFORMATION REGARDING CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. (a) Information in appraisal records may not be posted on the internet if the information is a photograph, sketch or floor plan of an improvement to real property that is designed primarily for use a human residence. (b) This information does not apply to an aerial photograph that depicts five or more separately owned buildings.